Shelby County firefighters and top brass differ on promotions, training

Shelby County Fire Chief Clarence Cash Jr. works the room at a surprise retirement party last week. ÒWeÕre not Memphis. The difference in being funded by fire fees and being funded by general fund means you have to be that much more accurate with the decisions we make,Ó said Cash, who retires on Jan. 28. ÒThey have a funding source thatÕs continuous.Ó

We're just asking for certified training to be able to provide the best possible safety for our residents of Shelby County.

Shelby County firefighters say they are not opposed to higher standards, but question why those who have met them haven't been recognized.

Meanwhile, Shelby County Fire Department officials say the standards for promotion are going up again and until then, advances for firefighters will remain on hold.

The county fire department has a promotions list and openings, said Danny Young, president of the Shelby County Firefighters Association Local 2585. But the department's not using it.

"We have current vacancies within our department and we have a current promotional list with personnel that are eligible for promotion," Young said.

The promotions would move firefighters to drivers, drivers to lieutenants and lieutenants to battalion chiefs.

It's one of the complaints Young brought to the County Commission earlier this month. Another complaint involves issues with training.

The promotions list dates from 2008 and was intended to be good for 18 months, said Shelby County Fire Chief Clarence Cash Jr.

However, he's been allowed by county administration to draw from the list for 24 months, said Cash, who retires on Jan. 28.

"And after that time ran out I went to the HR (human resources) administrator and asked for a 6-month extension and they gave me that," Cash said.

Since the list was created there have been promotions, he said, noting that the memorandum of understanding between the union and the county requires that it stay in place.

However, the department is in the process of contracting with an outside vendor to create a new promotions system that is expected to raise the standards for personnel, Cash said.

Firefighters have no problem with higher standards, Young said.

But they would like more help in reaching those goals.

"I'm not taking away from the current ability of our firefighters or personnel. We're just asking for certified training to be able to provide the best possible safety for our residents of Shelby County," Young said.

For a firefighter to get additional training, he or she must find the class, pay for it and take personal time off to attend, he said.

But, Cash said, paying for training takes money.

The department's $18 million budget is funded solely through fire fees. When a municipality annexes an area, the department losses those fees.

"We're not Memphis. The difference in being funded by fire fees and being funded by general fund means you have to be that much more accurate with the decisions we make," Cash said. "They have a funding source that's continuous."

The Memphis Fire Department has training facilities, but personnel who want to advance their careers are responsible for securing training, department officials said.

The academy offers about 60 free courses and there is federal grant money for some classes as well.

"I'm not familiar with their financial status, but they're definitely not alone in being a fire department that operates on a very slim budget," Abernathy said. "And so there are programs on both the state and federal level to help get training."